Happily Ever After
by Snidne
Summary: When Blanc awoke for the first time as a CPU, it marked the beginning of her story. And as she walked ahead, the words came together to tell a tale of highs and lows, of hopes and promises, of love and loss. AU.
1. Chapter 1

Welcome all! I'm back!

Life has been nothing but crazy for me. I've been up and down and every which way. But after two years, I finally managed to piece together something once more. This is by no means a promise though. I may be able to write something and if I do I will try to share it. But no guarantees on anything. If there is anyone out there that has heard of me, well, I apologize for the silence. For now, it's time to stretch the old keyboard...

* * *

 _ **Happily Ever After**_

 _ **By: Snidne**_

Standard Disclaimer:

All characters are copyrighted to their respective owners and do not in any way, shape, or form reflects the nature of said owners (Unless, of course, they actually do).

This story is a work of fiction and is not meant to resemble any person, place, or situation outside of sheer coincidence.

Due to the nature of this story, it is intent for Mature Audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

You have been warned.

We now present you our Feature Presentation with no commercial interruptions. Enjoy the story!

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...

* * *

Apprehensive.

Even in her relatively short time in this world, Blanc would never go so far as to admit she was nervous about something. She was a Goddess, and the Goddesses were not 'nervous'. So what if she were about to speak to her people for the very first time? So what if this interaction with the people would define every thought of her? She could handle this with poise and grace and… and…

"Dammit," she muttered to herself, trying to shake off her jitters.

It had been only a week since Blanc had, for lack of a better word, 'awakened' as the new CPU of Lowee. Her predecessor, rest her soul, had previously perished in a grand battle against a being known only as 'The Deity of Sin', more commonly known as Arfoire. She and the other Goddesses, known throughout the lands as CPUs, had given their lives to protect the world they lived in, Gamindustri. And now, barely a week into her existence, Blanc was expected to do the same should the need call for it. The only reason it had taken so long for her to be introduced to the people and properly integrated into her role as their leader was the fact that protocol dictated that she was first brought up to speed on what her duties were and the legacy of her predecessor be passed on to her.

Now she stood, waiting behind a door that would lead to a balcony that overlooked a massive courtyard just in front of the Basilicom, Blanc's new home. Briefly, she checked her attire: A white, sleeveless top-dress that extended to just above her knees with a chocolate-colored lining, a pair of long white gloves, a large white hat with blue frills and a pair of boots with a ribbon tied just above her right ankle. Not a single item was out of place, as far as she could tell. First impressions were important, which was why everyone at the Basilicom elected to introduce Blanc in her 'normal' state before she transformed into her Hard Drive Divinity, or HDD, form.

"Citizens of Lowee," a voice from beyond the door announced, causing Blanc to stand a bit straighter, "I present to you, our new CPU… Lady White Heart!" The door opened and Blanc stepped forward into the balcony to the awaiting crowd. Cheers could be heard from below as the people looked up to see their new Goddess. As Blanc walked to the edge where a microphone was placed for her to address the people, she couldn't help but gaze across the gathered crowd in slight awe. Many people were waving their hands in the air, trying to vie for her attention. Smiles adorned their faces and one could see the overall excitement that they radiated.

Blanc gave a smile. These were her people, the ones who would follow her to the bitter end. She couldn't help but feel proud to be able to lead them.

"Citi-," she managed to get out, before she winced at the sound of feedback on her ears. She quickly turned to one of the attendants there with a glare, as the man quickly turned to the equipment and began to adjust some settings. Blanc carefully cleared her throat before trying again. "Citizens of Lowee, it is my great honor to be standing before you all as your new CPU. I swear to make it my solemn duty to help this nation prosper and thrive, to protect this land and you all from whatever danger may come, and to elevate this nation to become the very best it can be."

Cheers continued to erupt from the masses as a pillar of light surrounded Blanc. When she was next visible, it was to a drastic change. Her hair had grown longer, taking on a lighter blue tint. Her outfit changed as well to a white one-piece bodysuit that hugged her frame. She spoke in a much more authoritative voice, "This, I do promise you as your new CPU, White Heart! Let us all go forward and greet a brand new age for Lowee, together!" The cheers reached a new peak at seeing their Goddess in all her glory. Blanc waved a bit more before turning and reentering the building. Once safely inside, she took a deep breath and gave a small sigh. That had gone much better than she would have expected.

"Well done, Lady Blanc," one of the attendants said. "You really pumped up the crowd."

"Thanks. It was easy," she said masking her nervousness well. Her gaze turned hard though, as she said, "By the way, who the hell was in charge of the equipment? I nearly looked like some incompetent buffoon out there!"

"Err, apologies Lady Blanc," another attendant said, bowing his head. "I was quite certain it was running fine just before…"

"Well next time, make sure you do the job right, smartass! I can't have people working under me making me look bad!" With that she turned and stormed down the hallway.

"My, my, Lady Blanc seems quite extreme, doesn't she," the first attendant said. "Still, she has a lot on her plate as it were…"

It was true, Blanc had plenty on her mind to think about as she de-transformed back into her normal state. Both the nations of Planeptune and Lastation had already made the announcements of their new CPUs. The only nation she hadn't heard about was the island nation of Leanbox, but Blanc was almost certain that the CPU there was announced as well. Meaning she had a lot to do to catch up to them. Even a few days was enough to turn the tables very, very badly in her favor.

There were many plans she had for Lowee. And not much time to instigate them. Still, such challenges filled her with excitement.

She could hardly wait.

* * *

...

* * *

The 'Land of White Serenity', a magical and fun-filled place where everyone could come together to enjoy the simple things in life. This was the Lowee that Blanc envisioned. Most homes in Lowee were build more for practical comfort than anything else. Seeing as it snowed almost all year round in Lowee, this meant that comfortable living spaces were a necessity. But it also meant that it left a lot to be desired about the aesthetics of those buildings. So one of the first things Blanc had done was a complete redesign to transform Lowee from a land of eternal snow into a Winter Wonderland.

The eternal white that blanketed the nation was now peppered with various colors that popped out to the eyes of the citizens. Festive colored lights shone from every building, giving it all a more whimsical look. When all was said and done, the people loved the change and their expression of their gratitude turned into shares for the CPU.

But there was still no time to rest. And the next stage of becoming even more at home with her people required Blanc to interact with them more and showing that she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty if the need arose. Which was her thoughts when she entered one of the Guild Halls that Lowee managed. The Guild, as it was commonly known, was an independent organization controlled by no nation, and primarily handled many requests by people and organizations alike to complete jobs such as gathering rare items or wiping out troublesome monsters. Countless 'Quests' were submitted to the Guild every day, where they were sorted and distributed to the various regions where they held the most significance.

Though many rewards were offered, for Blanc, the major draw was the fact that completing requests gave people reason to believe in the prowess of the nation that they were completed in, which directly translated into shares. Most people completed requests for credits or fame, but as a CPU, this could be seen as an alternative way to gathering shares, especially in times of economic struggle. Which was why with boundless confidence, Blanc had immediately picked one of the higher ranked quests, an 'A' rank, involving taking out some strong monsters called Fenrirs. By doing so, Blanc would not only prove her strength to the people, but also bolster their confidence in the CPU and thus help her stay competitive among the other nations.

And it was such a good plan on paper too.

However, reality was not so kind. Blanc was in her HDD state, her large axe buried in the ground as she leaned on it trying to catch her breath. Before her, one of the giant wolf monsters was already fading into streams of light, defeated. However, there was still another one, ready to bear down on her, angered at the loss of its comrade. Blanc made a growl of annoyance, before shouting "What's the matter, scared? Come get it!" Accepting the challenge, the wolf charged in with Blanc bringing her axe up to defend herself. The force of the blow knocked her back, draining out nearly the last of her strength. "D-dammit…"

As a CPU, Blanc had vast amounts of strength. Most normal monsters wouldn't stand a chance against her and even those that did poise some threat could be taken out simply by using her HDD. However, she had greatly underestimated the strength of these 'A' class monsters. Moreover, she had not yet been a CPU for more than a few months, so despite her strength, she lacked the experience required to use it properly.

 _This… can't be the end,_ she thought. There were still so many things she wanted to do, dreams she needed to see accomplished. Lowee needed her, and she couldn't bear the shame of having failed it so soon. But her plan had backfired tremendously. She contemplated running away, but she wasn't sure she could face the disappointment of her people, in them seeing her defeated and disgraced. It would reflect badly on her image to be sure. But it certainly had to be better than leaving the nation without a CPU.

Before she could contemplate further on this though, a peculiar sensation overtook her. Without warning, the world lost all color, falling into a greyscale. _W-what!? What is this?_ Her body couldn't move, but she noticed that everything suddenly went still and silent. It felt as though time itself had frozen. Suddenly before her eyes, silver flashes appeared around the monster's body. _"_ _ **Melody of Steel**_ _."_ Blanc's eyes widened slightly at hearing a voice before a figure appeared before her.

The figure was a young man, with short dark hair, eyes closed and holding up a sword that appeared to be resting just out of its sheath. He wore a dark shirt with a blue vest, and what appeared to be several belts crisscrossing over his chest. Pieces of armor covered his dark pants from just below his knees down to his combat boots. A short blue scarf was wrapped around his neck and his right arm was covered by a gauntlet of some sort. When the man opened his eyes, she could see they were a clear blue.

"Sing."

The Fenrir howled in agony as several slashes struck at its body at once. Blanc could only stare wide-eyed at the monster that had been defeated in that one attack. The man before her fully sheathed his blade before turning to the dissolving monster. "Geez, making me have to work this hard. Still, quite the thrill you gave me. But it wasn't enough." Turning back to Blanc he bowed his head. "Lady Blanc, are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah… N-not that I really needed your help or anything. But, thank you for the assistance anyway," she said, trying to keep her tough image intact. "Who are you supposed to be anyway?"

"I apologize. My name is Zen. I must say, I never imagined I would meet the CPU of this nation like this though. You seem well on your way to surpassing your predecessor already."

Blanc looked inquisitive at such knowledge, before she said, "So you are a citizen of my nation then." The young man, Zen, nodded. It made sense to her that he was probably born in Lowee and would therefore know about the CPU that came before her. Blanc gave a sigh, before transforming back into her human state. She couldn't maintain the energy to stay transformed, not after that fight. "In that case, if you don't mind I'll be heading back now." She had a report to make at the Guild, letting them know the monsters were taken care of. She couldn't help but wonder how they would react as to how they were defeated though.

"Ah, then if you don't mind allow me to accompany you. I was already on my way back from my own Quest when I ran into you, so it's perfect. Traveling is much better with companions after all." Blanc grumbled a bit before accepting his company. Truthfully, Zen was worried for his Goddess, but he couldn't outright say it. She had to maintain her dignity somehow in this situation.

The trip back was fairly quiet, neither one speaking as they headed back to the Guild. Once they entered, the attendant there welcomed them. "Lady Blanc, it is good to see you have come back. Oh, and Zen, you have returned as well? I trust everything went well for you?"

"Yeah, same as usual," Zen said cheerfully.

"Wonderful. Then I'll deposit the funds directly into your account then. Were you successful as well, Lady Blanc?"

"Um… yes, but-."

"It was amazing Glynn," Zen interrupted with excitement. "You should have seen it! I only caught the end of the fight, but Lady Blanc tore through those monsters like nothing!"

"H-hey," Blanc whispered at him angrily, "what the hell are you saying?" She looked around to see many of the other people in the Guild were looking at them from Zen's outburst.

"Oh don't be so modest Lady Blanc," Zen said smiling at her. "Truly it was an inspiring thing to see! The way you crushed those Fenrirs under your axe, they stood no chance! Still, if you keep taking up all these high end Quests, there won't be any left for us. Even veterans like me need a challenge every once in a while." Blanc blushed a bit as many of the onlookers began to talk among themselves.

"Amazing! I wish I could have seen her in action…"

"Finishing an 'A' ranked Quest on the first try… truly our Lady is strong."

"As expected of our Lady! CPUs are really something else…"

"Well, it seems the Quest was completed without any incident then," the attendant said, marking Blanc's quest as complete. "We are grateful for your business. Please come back again Lady Blanc."

"Right…" The attendant nodded, leaving Blanc to herself. "Hey, what we-," she began, but was surprised to see that Zen was already walking away. "H-hey! Wait up! Don't just walk away like that," Blanc shouted, chasing after him. He turned with a confused look on his face. "Just what the heck was all that about in there?"

"I'm not sure I understand the question. I simply told them what I witnessed. If a few details became a bit… embellished, well, no harm done right?" Zen offered a smile. "That said, I look forward to seeing more of what you will do with this nation. This lowly citizen wishes you the utmost success in your endeavors my Lady." With that, he left Blanc to her thoughts.

Blanc would have put it out of her mind after that, save for the fact that when she returned to the Guild for another quest, a more manageable one this time, she had spotted him taking on another quest himself. She waited until he was well outside of Lowee's borders before approaching him. "Hey, you!"

"Hm? Oh, Lady Blanc! How fortunate to get a chance to meet you again. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Blanc grumbled a bit before taking a deep breath. "Hey listen… I just wanted to say… thank you. For what you did last time." It was hard enough to admit that she owed him a debt for what happened last time, but Blanc was not one to accept charity or not acknowledge when her people performed above and beyond the call of duty. She could only hope that no one ever found out about what really happened. It would make her seem weak in the eyes of others.

"I'm not sure I understand. I didn't do anything-."

"Cut the crap, dammit," Blanc yelled, not in the mood for his games. "I'm trying to be grateful here so just accept it already!"

"There is nothing to accept. I do not doubt your capabilities Lady Blanc, but really I did nothing that I'm sure one day you will effortlessly do. Besides, it's not that impressive anyway. I used my special ability and caught it by surprise. I doubt I would have had it so easy in a straight, head-to-head battle." Blanc didn't look ready to accept that answer though, so he quickly added, "But, if you truly feel so inclined to repay me, then I do have a request if you will listen. I do quests everyday but it can be a bit lonesome by myself all the time. So, if you are ever doing a quest for yourself, perhaps you can keep me company? I don't really need help or anything, but having someone to talk to would be nice."

Blanc frowned, thinking it over. Truthfully, it seemed like an easy and acceptable request. She had been half expecting him to try a take advantage of the situation, but he remained rather benign in his request. "I… guess that's okay." As she thought over his words though, she noticed something about them that seemed off. "Wait, did you say you quest every day?"

"Yeah… truthfully it's my only source of income right now. I don't mind since I'm pretty good at it, or so I like to think anyway." That statement unsettled Blanc for some reason. She was well aware of people who frequented the Guild and even proclaimed themselves as Adventurers. But even the most hardcore of them never went on quests every day. Still, it wasn't as if he had asked her to come all the time, simply whenever she was free. A quite easy and manageable situation for her.

So it came to pass that over the course of several months, whenever Blanc found time to do a simple quest, she would meet with Zen beforehand. The two would make small talk as they journeyed to complete what was required of them. For Blanc, it was a great way to de-stress from the many various responsibilities that were placed on her at the Basilicom. For Zen, it was simply a way to learn more about the Goddess he now pledged his loyalty to.

And in the end, it resulted in an important and life-changing question to be asked. "Would you like to work at the Basilicom?"

"…Sure."

* * *

...

* * *

The University of Advanced Magical Learning was undoubtedly the most prestigious of all academies to study the magical arts. As with well over eighty percent of all institutions that taught magic, it was based in Lowee and received funding through the Basilicom. Many who sought the value of learning magic dreamed for a chance to attend for even a year with hopes of passing their rigorous entrance exam which was famed to have only a mere seven percent passing rate.

For one Mina Nishizawa, her occupation as an assistant lecturer was considered a dream job come true.

Currently, she was walking down the hallways at the end of another day of study and learning, a large book tucked under her arm. She wore a white dress with a red, long jacket-like robe that was kept open. Perched atop her head was a red graduate hat which she kept perfectly balanced as she walked. Adjusting her ribbon around her neck and the glasses on her face, she looked every bit the scholar that graduates of the academy would produce.

And despite it all, she wasn't the least bit happy.

It seemed so strange to her, to feel this way. She had studied hard and long to get this position. This was what she wanted, or so she believed. And while she wasn't ungrateful for the opportunity she had, being in a unique position to both still learn and provide the chance to teach, she found she couldn't put in any more effort than someone who worked a desk job just to get by. She knew she should have been happy. This was everything she spent years of her life working towards. So why did it all feel so disappointing to her?

She gave a deep sigh as she exited the lecture hall building and stepped onto campus grounds. She had been granted a few days leave, which meant she could finally have some time to herself. Maybe a change of scenery was needed? It couldn't hurt, she knew, to expand her horizons a bit. Perhaps she had been stuck on campus for too long and her body was craving to see something other than textbooks and notes. As she walked, she noticed a small crowd of people looking over a bulletin board. Intrigued, she walked up and took notice of a sign that had been recently put up.

'Attention Citizens of Lowee:

We are currently searching for someone to fulfill the position of Oracle of Lowee. We seek devoted followers of Lady White Heart to apply! Those with an open mind and a desire to bring valuable insight and new ideas to Lowee please report to the Basilicom for an interview.

We hope to see you there.

Signed,

The Basilicom Staff'

Mina looked in surprise. _They are bringing back the Oracle position…_ The previous Oracle had lived and retired during the previous CPU's reign. She had never appointed anyone to replace them before her passing, and the newest CPU, Lady White Heart, had not seemed interested in appointing a new one. _Until now, anyway._ She had to wonder what had changed. Stepping away from the notice, she wondered what it might be like to be known as Lowee's Oracle.

Mina quickly shook her head of such thoughts. _I already have a job._ Such thinking was pointless at this time in her life. She already had a stable career that would serve her well for many years. Why risk such a thing on a whim, with something that wasn't even guaranteed? Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of people would be lining up to apply. She herself would be nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

Hours later though, and she found herself still thinking about it. For whatever reason, the idea of being known as Lowee's Oracle was stuck in her mind and she couldn't shake it off. Deciding that perhaps it would be best to get it out of her system, she vowed to head to the Basilicom first thing in the morning to apply and get the notion out of her head. One peaceful night's rest and a quick breakfast and she was ready to go. She lived quite far from the Basilicom, so she knew she would need time to get there early enough. But despite this, she found there were dozens of people already lined up to take interviews. Mina gave a sigh, before taking out a book she brought with her and proceeded to read to pass the time.

"Hello? Miss? Next?" Mina was pulled out of her thoughts at being addressed. How long had she been reading? She looked to see a young man waving her into a room. Putting the book away, she walked inside as he closed the door behind her before offering her to take a seat. "Now then, let's start with the basics. Name?"

"Mina Nishizawa."

"Age?"

"Twenty-four."

"Current occupation?"

"Assistant lecturer at the University of Advanced Magical Learning."

The young man looked surprised by that. "Quite a prestigious place to be employed, especially for one so young. So, why do you wish to become Lowee's Oracle?"

"I don't know." The man looked to her bewildered and Mina internally winced at how blunt the statement sounded. She definitely could have worded that better. "That is to say… I simply felt the urge to try and apply, so I did."

"On a whim?" Mina could only nod. "You do realize that this is a serious position we are trying to fill here." Another nod. "I see… well then, you're hired."

"Wait, what? Just like that?" Mina could scarcely believe what she heard.

"Of course. Do you even realize how many creepy guys have tried to apply so far? Many of these applicants are simply either trying too hard to tell me what they think I want to hear or are just downright unsuited for the job. You, however… you have honest eyes. I like that."

"E-even still, shouldn't you run this by Lady White Heart first?" At that, the man gave a dry laugh.

"If Blanc wanted to pick someone that badly, she would have done the interviews herself rather than delegate them to me. But she does trust my judgment, and to be honest, I don't think half the people who I've had to decline the offer would have managed to come out unscathed." He stood up and smiled. "Anyway, welcome aboard! Considering we are going to be seeing a lot of each other, I believe introductions are in order. My name is-." He stopped suddenly before coughing into his hand. After his little coughing fit, he cleared his throat before pulling out a bottle and taking a pill out from it before swallowing it dry. "Sorry about that. I've just recently recovered from a cold. My name is Zen, and I am Lady Blanc's personal assistant. On behalf of everyone at the Basilicom, welcome to the team."

"Thank you," Mina said uncertainly. She had only come here on a whim, never expecting to actually get the job. She hadn't been serious about it at all.

Yet something inside of her felt right, all the same.

* * *

...

* * *

"Stupid… damn cow… freakin bastards…"

"Err, Lady Blanc, are you alright?"

"Oh I'm just fine. Absolutely peachy…" The sarcasm couldn't be any thicker.

"Then I'm going to assume the meeting with the other CPUs went well?" A death glare. "I'm guessing no…"

"It went fine Zen. Now leave me alone." Truthfully, it had been fine. At least the initial meeting was. A few days ago, Blanc had received a message from the Oracle of Planeptune, Histoire, inviting her to the nation run by the CPU Purple Heart. The contents of which were to discuss and perhaps come to an agreement with the other CPUs on the state of Gamindustri and its future. Specifically, a more peaceful one.

In previous eras of CPU rule, it wasn't uncommon for two or more nations to be at war with one another, over the control of Shares. Countless people, often those who were considered the most faithful, were sent to fight against one another in the name of their Goddess. The truthfully horrifying thing was, almost all of these people had volunteered for such a task, so zealous in hopes of bringing further prosperity to their lands and pleasing the Goddesses. The previous generation of Goddesses themselves had such a strong animosity to one other as well, and it wasn't uncommon to see them fighting in desolate lands away from just about any living thing as they vied for superiority over one another.

What had eventually stopped the fighting was, ironically, the Deity of Sin, which had posed a strong and worldwide threat that the Goddesses had settled on a ceasefire for the time being. And though they were now gone as a result of having to seal away the powerful monstrosity, the world was still technically at war. Which meant that the state of that war had to be resolved, especially now that the new Goddesses had essentially gotten comfortable in their roles as rulers.

So Blanc had gone, and for the first time had met with the other new CPUs, Purple Heart, Black Heart, and Green Heart at the Planeptune Basilicom. There, they discussed with Histoire what to do regarding the conclusion of the war and agreed to end it once and for all. A peace treaty was signed, which simply stated that shares would no longer be competed for though war, but rather through new advancements in technology and the most favored pastime in all the nations, games. All in all, it was quite the successful meeting.

Then came the time for the CPUs to see one another in their human states. Blanc was quite aware that transforming could lead to shifts in personality and physique. Case in point, when Purple Heart had resumed her form of Neptune, the two were almost as different as night and day. Black Heart and Noire were relatively unchanged from each other, though the Goddess form acted quite pretentious in her opinion. But it was after seeing Green Heart transform back into Vert did Blanc for the first time question something about herself.

Blanc had never considered herself vain or arrogant. While she certainly knew she didn't have the most striking body around, she carried herself with pride and confidence in her ability to run a nation, because that was what was most expected of her. The people of her nation cared not for her looks, but rather her ability to lead. At least, she had always believed so. So when she saw Vert for the first time, flaunting her body almost shamelessly, a pool of jealousy erupted into her belly and she quite frankly told her off without thinking. It sparked Vert to tease Blanc about her figure which resulted in a shouting match and blows threatened to be traded.

Of course, it all would have all blown over and eventually be forgotten, at least until another object which prolonged her annoyance made its appearance.

Nepgear, the younger sibling of Neptune. _The CPU Candidate of Planeptune._

Blanc was aware of CPU Candidates, having heard about their appearance from old books and records of previous CPUs. Blanc had been stunned to see one in person though. Everyone in the room had been stunned seeing the girl. And it was at that moment when she was sure they all realized the same thing; that somehow Planeptune had managed something none of them had and as a result were already in a head start in the competition for the world's shares. Both Blanc and Noire had left immediately, though Vert seemed content enough to dot on the girl for the time being.

Which now lead her back to having arrived at her Basilicom, with her faithful assistant Zen welcoming her back. But she wasn't in the mood for such welcomes. She knew she needed to work hard to catch up to the others, but a part of her really wanted to just lie down and sleep for a long while. Of course, Zen wouldn't let it be that easy.

"Come now Blanc, you don't really think you can fool me that easily. I like to think we know about each other enough to be beyond such trivial excuses." Blanc grit her teeth a bit. Normally, at least when no one was around, Zen liked to drop the honorifics surrounding Blanc's name. At first she had thought him being rude, but over time had gotten used to it. Now she wondered if she should have rubbed out that habit from the start. "You can tell me. I am one of your confidents after all."

Blanc bit her cheek, wondering if she should voice her thoughts. Though many people would often say what she wanted to hear, Zen, and more recently their newest Oracle Mina, would not sugarcoat their words. She knew she would get an honest opinion from him. "Hey, Zen… why do you worship me?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand the question…"

"What I mean is… why not someone like Purple Heart or Green Heart? Just because you live here doesn't mean you need to have any faith in me." Blanc knew her words to be true. Though most people who lived in a nation tended to put their faith in the Goddess who ruled it, it wasn't an ironclad rule. However, his response being laughing wasn't something she expected either. "Cut it out! That's not funny!"

"Sorry, sorry," Zen said waving his arms. "I'm just surprised you would ask such a dumb question." The glare Blanc was giving him caused him to quickly add, "Look, I'll admit that when I first met you, the only reason I had for believing in you and the previous CPU before was because my parents believed in you both. But since then, things have changed. I believe in you for an entirely different reason now."

"And what reason is that?"

"Well… to put it in the context of your previous question… it's because the other CPUs are not you." Blanc looked confused at that, but Zen only smiled. "I'm sure the other Goddesses have great qualities that you don't have, just as you have things about you they don't have. Arguing that would be pointless. So going by that, all I can say is that I like you for you. Besides that, we are friends right? I would like to think our relationship isn't strictly work related." Blanc thought for a moment, but decided that it wouldn't matter, at least in this instance, to question the man's logic. Instead she gave a sigh; sometimes, there was no winning with him.

"Well, thanks for answering that… I need to rest, so make sure no one disturbs me unless it's important." Zen assured her of it and watched her walk off back to her room. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Sometimes Blanc truly worried over the most mundane things. But he supposed that was part of her charm as well. He turned only to recoil in surprise at seeing Mina behind him, looking at him with a disappointed gaze.

"Mina! Celestia, you nearly gave me a heart attack…" Mina's frown became more pronounced. "Can I help you?"

"You didn't tell her." Suddenly the atmosphere became somber and tense, Zen's cheery gaze becoming more aloof. "You really need to tell her."

"There's no point in that. We've been over this, Blanc doesn't need to concern herself with that." He crossed his arms and gave her an annoyed look. "I'm still trying to figure out how you figured it out though. In any case, you promised not to tell her so don't think you can go behind my back on this."

Mina rubbed her temples in frustration. "Even still, if she asks I won't lie."

"Why would she ever ask?" Zen turned and walked away. "Blanc wishes for no one to disturb her for the time being, so let's try to get as much as we can done, okay?"

"Zen, I am worried about you," Mina said, clearly uncomfortable with how her friend was treating the issue. "I've been looking more into it, and-."

"Just stop, Mina." Zen's eyes were downcast, still facing away from the Oracle. "Look, I've done my research too. There's nothing, okay? So there's no need to put any more undue stress over it." He turned his head to face her, putting on a smile as he did. "Besides, not like I got anything to regret, right?"

Time continued to pass, as the residents of Lowee's Basilicom continued to put in the work and effort to sate the needs of the nation and its people. A few months after the peace treaty had been signed, Zen, Mina and Blanc were sitting at a table in Blanc's office, pouring over new ideas and thinking of ways to gain more influence in obtaining shares. Their current worry came from news they had received just that morning from Lastation.

The appearance of a new CPU Candidate.

Currently their talk was creating a new console to put to market. "Maybe better specs," Zen suggested. "Everyone seems to be focused on graphics and processing power. It might be jumping on the bandwagon at this point, but if it helps us stay competitive…"

"No," Blanc argued, shaking her head. "At this point, they are just nitpicking. The games we make have never needed an overabundance of processing power to begin with. Adding more would just be a waste."

"Perhaps a wider genre of games," Mina suggested. "Shooters seem to be all the rage in Lastation and Leanbox. There's a big market to tap into if that's the case."

"That might isolate our core audience though," Zen said with a frown. "Even if we could get some temporary boosts in shares, other nations have been doing this for a lot longer and produce much better quality that we would be able to at this point. Maybe some online play?"

"Most online options we have are more passive roles than anything else," Mina said. "Even if we do offer it, it would require far more processing power which as Lady Blanc said, isn't something we need just to add a gimmick. Most people still prefer PCs for online play anyway."

Blanc wanted to thump her head on the table. So far, things were going nowhere. And despite the ideas coming to light, nothing seemed to stick. At this rate, Lowee would fall behind everyone else. Currently, the only nation it was doing better than was Planeptune, but not by much. It made her want to take her hammer to the first thing she saw. Noire she could understand falling a bit behind, considering the girl's crazy work ethic, but she absolutely refused to lose to Vert. That damned cow could not be allowed to lord this over her.

What they needed now was something revolutionary, something so innovative and out of the box that it would take Gamindustri by storm. But there was a big risk involved in doing that. If it failed, Lowee could be crippled like never before, perhaps even to the point of being unable to recover. Blanc refused to let that happen though, and she knew Zen and Mina wouldn't either. Whatever she came up with, they would stick behind her all the way.

 _What can I do though,_ Blanc thought, gripping her teacup with enough force to nearly crack it. Zen stood up, stretching his arms out. "Ugh, sitting around like this for hours isn't good for me. Feels like my legs are going to go numb."

"I agree. Perhaps we should break for lunch?" Mina also began to stretch, working out the kinks in her body.

Blanc observed them both, her mind racing. It felt like the answer was just in front of her, right within her grasp. Suddenly, a bolt of inspiration shot through her, before standing up and slamming her hands on the table. "That's it!"

"Huh? What's it?" Blanc did not answer Zen's inquiry, instead heading to her laptop to send out an urgent message. She needed to work fast while the idea was fresh in her mind. "Blanc what's going on? Did you think of something?"

"Yeah. No time, we need to get this project going now."

"Wait, wait, what even is this idea," Mina asked.

"Don't worry, you'll see soon."

And indeed they did. Months passed, Lowee's development team working hard to bring Blanc's vision to life. Blanc was betting everything she had on this, hoping it would pay off. And upon release of their newest console, the fruits of her hard work had bloomed. Zen and Mina were staring at Blanc's monitor in her room, completely bewildered. Zen could feel his jaw drop at what he was looking at, while Blanc stood behind them, arms crossed over her chest with the smuggest look on her face.

"Mina, tell me I am not hallucinating."

"You are not hallucinating."

Fifty-three percent. _They had over half of all shares in Gamindustri._

Neither of them could believe what they were seeing. The newest console hadn't been just a success, it had utterly crushed all competition. Even with workers making and shipping them nearly 24/7 there was still a tremendous backlog of orders coming in. They simply physically could not keep up with the demand. And all of it stemmed from one, simple concept.

Motion controls.

It was such an out-of-box idea that seemed just crazy enough to work. And yet, when it came out it was as if Lowee had somehow answered all the unheard, unspoken prayers of gamers across the world. A week ago, almost no one would have said that motion control gaming was something they desired. Yet now, they acted as if it was something they had wanted all along, as if they were waiting for this moment their whole lives. The other nations could only been in a panic at how quickly the power balance shifted into their favor.

"By Celestia… this is so unbelievable."

"Well, believe it," Blanc said, holding her head up high. "This is the true power of Lowee." Blanc could not have been happier. Her nation was on top of the world, and it didn't look like it would be coming down anytime soon. She could only imagine the looks on the other Goddesses' faces. If only she had a camera to capture Vert's undoubtedly anguished vestige. Nothing could possibly ruin-.

The door banged open as one of the attendants burst into the room out of breath. "Lady Blanc!"

"What the heck is it now!? You better have a damn good reason to be bothering me like this!"

"My apologies, but we have an emergency! Something is going on with the Sharicite!" Everyone's eyes widened in panic, before Blanc tore out of the room, making her way to the Sharicite Chamber. The Sharicite was the crystallization of the people's faith and the source of Share Energy which was tied directly to a Goddess's life and her divinity. Thus, it was the single most important item in all the Basilicom and was kept under heavy lock and key, with the only known individuals with access to them being the current ruling Goddess, the Oracles and in extreme emergencies, Histoire.

Zen and Mina broke out of their own trances and were quick to follow Blanc. However, not even a few feet from Blanc's room did Mina hear a crashing sound. She turned to see Zen on his knees, coughing violently into his hand. "Zen, are you alright?" Mina rushed to his side, as Blanc was too far ahead to see or hear what had happened. Coughing a bit more, Zen slowly removed his hand from his mouth and the two could only stare at the blood that now covered it.

"Oh… that can't be good," Zen said before he collapsed.

Unaware of the situation behind her, Blanc only had one thing on her mind and that was investigating whatever was happening with the Sharicite. Reaching the door leading into the Sharicite Chamber, Blanc placed her hand on the scanner next to the door which reacted to her handprint. The door opened and immediately Blanc was assaulted by a bright light and wave of heat that had her flinching and closing her eyes. A minute passed before the light began to fade, Blanc carefully opening her eyes to see what was wrong with the Sharicite. What she found inside nearly stopped her heart.

Standing before the crystal, looking rather startled and confused, were a pair of young girls with chestnut colored hair. Their facial features looked similar and they wore matching winter coats over white and grey dresses with hats and boots. The longer haired girl's clothes were colored pink, while the shorter haired girl was a light blue. Both stared at Blanc for a few moments, none of them speaking or moving. Finally, the longer-haired girl stepped forwards, shielding the shorter-haired girl. Her face became determined while the other's looked more scared.

"S-stay back! Who are you?"

Blanc wasn't sure what to say. Everything about what was happening felt too surreal. "My name is Blanc. I'm your older sister." Even saying that sentence aloud had made it sound so foreign to her ears. But it was no less true and the reality, and gravity, of the situation was becoming all too clearer now that the shock was wearing off.

Lowee had gained not one, but two CPU Candidates. Blanc had gained two younger sisters. The thought was both terrifying as it was equally exciting.

The two girls looked surprised at the revelation, turning to one another in silent contemplation. Blanc was unsure what she should do at this point. Nothing in her records could have prepared her for this. Should she say something? Would they even accept her? Before she could formulate an answer to those questions, the girls turned back to her with smiles before rushing up to her. "Yay!" They both collided with her, giving her a hug each. "Hey, hey! Big sis Blanc, I'm Ram!"

"I'm… Rom."

"Rom and Ram," she breathed out softly. Those names were perfect, it seemed. Blanc wasn't a big fan of touchy-feely things. She liked her personal space. Nevertheless, she wrapped her arms around the twins somewhat awkwardly as she returns the hug.

"Yay, Blanc likes us!"

"I'm glad… Blanc likes us."

Blanc knew that there was so much to be done about this. The twins would need to be shown around the Basilicom and introduced to the people working there. An announcement needed to be made and they had to be introduced to the people of Lowee as acknowledged CPU Candidates. There were a mountain of things needed to be done now that Rom and Ram had been born. But Blanc didn't care about all that right now. Right now, she was far too content with this moment, as their family came together.

Truly, it was the best day of her life.

* * *

...

* * *

Blanc sat calmly in her chair, looking over her personal assistant and close friend Zen as he lay in bed. It bothered her to think that in all the time that he had been living in the Basilicom with her, she had never before been in his room until now. There were so many things to talk to him about when he woke up. So many words needed to be said, but Blanc was having trouble sorting through her emotions to think of what to say first. What did you say to a man who was on his deathbed?

And why, why did her life have to take such a drastic turn after experiencing one of the happiest days of her life?

In the four days since Rom and Ram's birth, the entire Basilicom was a flurry of activity. People were working nonstop to keep pace with the daily workload, on top of still trying to fulfill orders for their latest console, and keeping pace with the twin's activities. As such, by the time Blanc had managed to find time to take a break, she had called for Zen for bring her some tea to help her relax. And it was then that she learned something rather shocking.

Namely, that no one had actually seen the man in the last few days.

At first, Blanc wasn't worried, seeing as he was probably busy with other matters. Everyone was working hard and it could be that he was simply lost in the chaos of it all. But when she received a notice the next day that he hadn't been spotted again, Blanc was seriously getting annoyed. Taking a break was fine, but missing out work entirely without notice was just rude. So she endeavored to find Mina and ask her if he had gotten sick or something. It seemed to be the only explanation to it.

So when Mina told her that he was dying, Blanc felt her blood run cold. And she forced Mina to explain.

And so Mina told her of what she knew. How she noticed that Zen had been taking an unusual amount of medication now and again, almost in secret. How she had found one of his medicine bottles and researched what it was for. How she confronted him about it and finally, how he had begged her not to tell Blanc about it, convinced that she would never even think to ask. Mina explained the medicine had been for pain, and that what he had was incurable by either modern medicine or magic. Both she and Zen had done their research into the subject and had come up with nothing.

Which lead to her being here now, Rom and Ram being in the delicate hands of Mina's care.

Blanc looked around the room for a moment. Aside from a few things, one would think this would only be a guest room and indeed it had been before Zen moved in. A large flat screen television rested on the far wall, with several old Lowee consoles to choose from to be connected to it. A couch was placed in front of it, with a low table nearby that had a few magazines on it, one of them being the latest gossip about Lowee's just released motion control concept. A dresser sat opposite Blanc, likely filled with clothes, while a clock was above that ticking away the time. A nightstand was next to her immediate right. On it were three pictures resting in their frames.

The first showed a young boy being held up by what could only be his parents, laughing at the camera with a smile on his face. The second showed the same boy looking much older, a grin on his face as he held up a license to work at the Guild, one hand raised up with a victory sign. The final showed him again, standing next to Mina and Blanc. The Oracle and the young man were smiling at the camera, while Blanc was looking more to the side, as if unwilling to pose for the picture. Blanc recognized this photo, for she had a copy of one herself, hidden in her room. It had been to commemorate Mina's new position as the Oracle of Lowee.

A groan from Zen pulled Blanc back to the matter at hand. He wearily opened his eyes, gazing about until they rested on Blanc's. "Lady Blanc? Why are you…?" He trailed off, seeing the angry look in her eyes. "I see… looks like the secret's out."

"Why," Blanc managed to get out. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"There was nothing to say. Telling you wouldn't have made a difference. I would only have burdened you with my problems if I-."

"Bullshit," Blanc said angry. She wasn't sure what to feel about all this, and anger seemed the easiest to latch onto at the moment. "Wasn't it you who said that we were friends? What kind of friend keeps this kind of thing a secret?" Zen bowed his head in shame. "There has to be something. Maybe we can find out something in another nation." It really hurt to have to say that, but Blanc decided she didn't care. This was her friend, and dammit all she would do whatever she could to help save him, even if it meant swallowing her pride.

"I was diagnosed years ago. To be honest, even the doctors were surprised I lived as long as I have all things considering. My time was supposed to be up long ago… but I think, you have helped me more than you may know."

"What do you mean?"

"I lived life recklessly once I learned about my condition. I figured why not, considering that it wasn't like I had much time to really regret anything. I stopped caring about my life, because I knew it would be ending soon. I wasn't afraid to die. Or at least, I convinced myself of that. But then… I met you. And I kept meeting you, interacting with you, and suddenly, I didn't want to die. Suddenly, I really wanted to live. I wanted to see you. A year and a half ago, I didn't care for when I died. And then, I began to be afraid. Every day, I wondered 'Would this be the end?' or 'Is today the day I finally die?'. Without warning, the life I thought I could leave behind without regret was full of them."

"That doesn't have to be this way," Blanc said, panicking slightly. "We still have time to do something! Anything!"

"No… I can feel it… my body won't last for much longer." He pointed to his nightstand. "Inside the drawer there… there is something I want you to have."

"In here?" Blanc opened the drawer and saw to her surprise a leather bound book. The cover had no title, but the book looked to be brand new. "What is this?"

"I noticed you liked to read a lot. So, I decided I wanted to write a story just for you." Blanc's eyes widened in surprise. "I started a few months ago, and I wanted to give it to you on the anniversary of when I started working here. Unfortunately, I never got to finish the last chapter… but I still want you to have it all the same. Think of it as a memento of me."

"Zen… no don't say things like that. I can't just…" Blanc choked up, unable to continue.

As a CPU, Blanc was well aware that her divinity gave her what was essentially immortality. It meant that she would long outlive her citizens and the Basilicom staff, and thus, she had always mentally steeled herself against such emotional ties. Sure, it felt heartless when taken at face value, but as much as Blanc loved her people, she understood that humans were only mortal, frail beings. There would always be an invisible wall, and distance that the people around her could not, and should not breech.

But Zen wasn't just a 'citizen'. He was a friend, a close friend who had somehow wormed his way into her heart and past all the barriers she had put in place. And it hurt to know that she was going to lose him. She knew that, in the end, it wouldn't have mattered if it were now or ten or even fifty years later. Eventually, Blanc would have to go on with her life without him. But she had hoped, at the very least, it would only be after years of interacting with him. Years of laughs and smiles, of memories both good and bad. That time would dull the pain.

She didn't want to lose him. Certainly not like this.

"Hey, Blanc?" Blanc was pulled out of her thoughts by his voice. "If it's not too much to ask, I wanted to ask a favor from you."

"Sure. What is it?"

"Could you… stay with me? Till the end?"

"…Okay."

"Thanks." He raised one arm up and laid it over his eyes, giving a deep sigh. Blanc reached out and grasped his other hand, holding it in hers. It felt strange, considering they had never had much physical contact with one another, yet somehow it felt right. Suddenly his hand started to tremble and Blanc looked up to a heartbreaking sight. A look of complete anguish marred his face, as he seemed to struggle not to break down in front of her. "Why… it hurts so much…"

Blanc could only turn away. She understood all too well how he felt.

* * *

...

* * *

 _Tick… Tock…_

Blanc wasn't sure how long it had been since Zen managed to calm himself. She refused to look at the clock, only seeing it as some kind of grim reminder of what was happening. The sound of the clock, and Zen's shallow breathing were the only noises in the room.

 _Tick… Tock…_

She wondered what everyone else was doing right now, and if anyone was looking for her. Undoubtedly, she knew that Mina would be able to deflect them away. Something told her that her Oracle knew what she was doing and had given them privacy.

 _Tick… Tock…_

Rom and Ram… they didn't need to know what had happened here. There was nothing to be gained from exposing them to the concept of death so soon after being born. Mina would probably be the only other person in the Basilicom to understand. The CPU could only hope that she would find the strength to one day talk about this. Until then, she would bury it deep in her heart.

 _Tick… Tock…_

The warmth in his hand was starting to fade. She hadn't once let go since grasping it, a silent reminder of her presence to him. That she would resolutely stay until the end. An end which was fast approaching.

 _Tick… Tock…_

….

…

…

"I love you."

A pair of eyes closed…

And they never opened again.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Just when you think it's over... Well, anyone who knows me knows that while I certainly can make you feel the feels, I'm too much of a sucker for a happy ending. So BAM! Second part!

* * *

...

* * *

In a remote location within the land known as Lowee, an intense battle was erupting. Three individuals were facing off against a single enemy, a large military-styled robot that was equipped with a Gatling gun and shoulder-mounted laser cannon. Two of the fighters wore similar styled heavy armor, complete with large helmets that had visors covering their eyes, one holding a large two-handed blade and the other a sub-machine gun. The third was wearing lighter armor over a dark blue shirt and pants with shin guards. He wore no helmet, leaving his dark hair and aquamarine eyes visible. In both hands were curved daggers, poised to strike at a moment's notice.

" **TARGET ACQUIRED** ," a synthetic voice spoke from the machine, as it leveled its gun at them and fired. The three pulled back to dodge the enemy fire, while the gun-wielding fighter fired back its own rounds. The bullets however, seemed to have no effect as they bounced off the armor plating of the robot.

" **Shockwave Slash!** " cried out the sword-wielding man, slamming his blade onto the ground and unleashing a shockwave of energy at the robot, causing it to stumble.

" **Titanium Tempest!** " The dagger-wielder shot forward, spinning his body around to create a whirlwind of steel, the wind picking up and scattering dust around him as he rapidly struck at the robot's armor. He pulled back in time to dodge a powerful punch the machine sent his way. "Tch. Nothing is working! What the hell is this thing made of anyway?"

"We can't give up now though," the sword-wielder said, readying to strike again.

" **LOCKING ON TARGET. ENGAGING PRIMARY WEAPON.** " The robot charged its laser before firing at them. Through the dagger and sword wielders had managed to dodge, the gunner was struck by the blast and sent flying.

"Vlad! You okay?"

"Been better… my leg is killing me though," the gunner named Vlad said. He tried to stand, but fell to one knee, gripping his leg in obvious pain. "Dammit!"

"This isn't good. Joseph, you got to get him out of here!"

"The hell!? And what, leave you to die," the swordsman, named Joseph, shouted back. "You can't seriously expect me to think you can take this thing on your own, right? You need backup!"

"I'd rather we not all fall here at once. Vlad needs treatment and we don't have enough healing items on hand for it. I can keep it distracted enough for you two to get away." He rushed in, striking at the monster to grab its attention. "Go, now!"

"Damn it!" Joseph rushed to his fallen comrade and helped him to stand. "I'll try and get help! You better not die Raine!"

The final member, Raine, nodded. "I'll be fine! Go!" He back-flipped to dodge more gunfire from the machine, before focusing his energy. " **Nature's Breath.** " He took a deep breath, filling himself with energy. As he exhaled, he felt his body becoming lighter and more agile. "Come on tough guy, catch me if you can!" He dashed around, his body moving faster than before as he maneuvered around laser fire. He watched from the corner of his eyes as Joseph carried Vlad away to safety. _Alright, now to deal with this thing… easier said than done though,_ he thought.

He dashed, moving past the monster while attacking its legs, hoping to disable it and give him a better chance of getting away. Each strike make another mark on the creature's tough body, but didn't seem to be able to cut deep enough to hit any of the interior wiring. One of his passes was interrupted when the robot struck with its leg, kicking him in the stomach and knocking him back. Raine coughed a few times before quickly scrambling out of the way of laser fire, the ground exploding with dirt sent flying into the air. "That was too close."

Raine continued to contemplate his options while dodging more enemy fire. _This is really bad. We seriously underestimated this hunt. I had hoped bringing more people would make this easier but… I still have my trump card. That skill I just finished developing. But I don't think it's enough to take this thing down._ Just as he was about to preparing himself for his last desperate attempt, a battle cry voiced from behind the robot. The monster turned in time to get punched in the face by something.

Said something was an older woman in a navy blue uniform that seemed too small around her chest, as it exposed some serious cleavage, with a blue beret on her head. She got into a fighter's stance, a confident smirk on her face. "Hey! You look like you could use a hand."

"Lady C-sha!?"

"In the flesh," she said with a smirk. This was C-sha, a member of a group known throughout Gamindustri as the Gold Third and stationed in Lowee. "Hey ugly! You look like you need a beat down!" Without waiting, C-sha charged in.

" **NEW THREAT IDENTIFIED. PRIORITIZING.** " The robot began to charge its laser to fire.

" **Nature's Breath.** " Raine quickly focused his energies around C-sha, granting her a speed boost to help dodge the enemy laser attack. Her fists smashed into the robot, leaving large dents in the armor. At the end of her combo strike, she uppercut the machine, the force strong enough to send it flying into the air to Raine's surprise.

"Blanny, now!"

Raine looked confused at that, before he noticed something coming their way. It was flying in at incredible speeds, and it took only a second before he recognized it as Lady White Heart, in her HDD state. She was holding her infamous axe in both hands, rearing and ready to strike at the airborne target.

" **Zerstorung!** " With a mighty swing, she smashed her axe into the robot and sent it hurling towards the ground. It crashed into the earth with a large shockwave that Raine had to brace himself to keep standing. When he looked, the machine was sparking in places, the chest cavity ripped open from the force of Blanc's strike. She flew down and for good measure, gave the machine a kick. "And stay down."

"Nice shot, Blanny," C-sha said giving her a thumbs up. Blanc merely gave her a weak glare before transforming back into her normal state.

"Seriously, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that!?"

"Um, Lady Blanc, Lady C-sha," Raine said, catching both of their attention. "I'm very grateful for the help, but how did-?"

"Hey!" Raine was interrupted by the reappearance of his two comrades, who were running up to join him. "I told you I'd get your back!"

"Joseph! Vlad, you guys made it!"

"Of course we did. I was lucky that we ran into Lady C-sha and Lady Blanc out here," Joseph said. "When I explained the situation, Lady C-sha went running out here while Lady Blanc gave me some medicine for Vlad here. Still, I can't believe how lucky we were to run into the Golden Pair out here…"

"I'll say," Vlad said smiling. "Sorry about that though. I got too careless…"

"Hey don't worry about it," Raine said sighing with relief. "I'm just glad we managed to all make it out of here in one piece."

Without warning, the robot's hand shot out and grabbed Blanc, squeezing tightly around her body. " **MAJOR DAMAGE SUSTAINED. CORE OVERLOAD! CORE OVERLOAD!** "

"It's still alive!?" Vlad immediately raised his gun against the monster, but Joseph stopped him. "Wait, you might hit Lady Blanc with that!"

Blanc looked pissed, struggling against the surprising strength of the machine. "Let go you damned sorry excuse for a tin can!" Suddenly she stopped, as the world lost all color and sound. Everyone had a look of surprise, none more so than Blanc. This sensation was one she was intimately familiar with. From her vintage point, she could see everyone looking at her. Everyone but one person.

" **Melody of Steel.** " The world returned to normal and Blanc turned her head in time to see Raine in the air behind the monster, daggers raised up in challenge. "Sing." The grip of the monster broke, as its arm separated from its body, before it disappeared into light. Raine fell to one knee, breathing roughly and looking winded. "Damn it, that takes way too much out of me to do…"

"Raine, you okay?" Vlad asked, as he and Joseph ran up to him in concern.

"Yeah… I think so."

"Geez, you need to be more careful. That side effect of your move still gives me shivers, no matter how much I see you do it," Joseph said, helping him stand.

"Hey." The three hunters turned to Blanc, who was looking at Raine with an unreadable expression. "Where did you learn how to do that move?"

"Huh? Well, I just kind of made it up myself…"

Blanc continued to stare at him for a few moments longer before turning around. "Let's go, C-sha. And you guys, be careful on your way back," she said, walking away. C-sha looked to Blanc confused but ultimately shrugged and waved goodbye to the hunters before jogging to catch up to Blanc.

"You okay there, Blanny?"

"I'm fine." C-sha didn't believe that for a moment. However, as she gazed to Blanc's face to call her out on it, she noticed that it looked… pained in a way. She wondered why that was, and could only think that one of the hunters from before had been responsible. Now, C-sha could pride herself in being able to read Blanc like a book, and she knew how to push the Lowee CPU's buttons to get a reaction from her. She could also tell fairly well when Blanc got angry to try and cover up her feelings and when she was genuinely upset. And this incident had clearly upset her. Teasing could wait for the moment.

Right now, there was a far bigger mystery to deal with.

Blanc, for her part, was doing her best to suppress what she witnessed. Memories and feelings she had long since buried in the past threatened to resurface. She thought she had gotten past it. She believed that it wouldn't affect her anymore. The wound had long since healed over, but the scar was still sensitive to touch. _It was just a coincidence,_ she thought. _That's all._ Blanc tried to force the incident out of her mind.

" _Will you stay? Until the end?"_

She bit the inside of her cheek. Hopefully Financier had some tea ready to help her distract herself from her thoughts.

* * *

...

* * *

"Well, that mission turned out to be… interesting," Vlad said, as he, Joseph and Raine walked out of the Guild. "Still, to think we could get to see the legendary Golden Pair in action. Talk about lucky."

"Yeah. Though I suppose we should call it a day for now. We should probably better prepare for next time," Joseph said.

"Agreed. I'll see you both later then." Raine waved goodbye to Vlad and Joseph before giving a sigh. "Well, that mission could have turned out better… heh, but to think I would be saved by Lady C-sha and Lady Blanc. I wonder, is this a thing called fate?" He frowned. "Well, I have the rest of today off… maybe I should go do something…?"

"Excuse me. Are you, Raine?"

"Hm? Yeah, that's me." He turned to see who had addressed him. An older-looking woman with light blue hair, wearing an open red coat and graduate cap was smiling peacefully at him. From her studious appearance, he wouldn't be wrong to think she worked at one of the many magic academies that could be found in Lowee. As it was, he did in fact recognize the person before him. "Mina!? Is that you?"

"Surprise," the woman, Mina, said. Indeed, she was in fact the Oracle of Lowee, who had left on a soul-searching journey some years ago. "It's been quite a while since we last met. It was in Lastation if I recall?"

"Yeah. I remember that," Raine said. The two had met some years ago, in Raine's homeland of Lastation. Although, truth to be told, he had always felt out of place there. It was during a mission at the Guild there did he meet Mina and the two had become friends. Mina had told him that he reminded her of someone, but she never said who. As she was still in the middle of her journey, Mina had asked him about various things, and Raine confessed his feelings of not belonging. It was then that the Oracle had suggested he move to another nation.

He had been hesitant to, at first. Starting over in a new nation was a big change to his life and one he wasn't entirely sure he was comfortable with. Eventually, he had earned enough to rent himself a small apartment in Lowee and it had been home ever since. He had hoped to talk to her about what was happening with his life and was about to suggest catching up when Mina beckoned him to a nearby bench. "Sit down, I have a lot of things I want to tell you."

"Well, I do have a lot to tell you about as well," Raine said sitting down. Mina made to stand before him. "Uh, Mina? Something going on?"

"Nothing special." Without warning, Mina summoned her staff and pointed the tip at him.

"Wait, what are you,-!?"

"Wake up." A spell circle appeared on the ground around him and a sharp pain erupted in his head before he passed out into sweet oblivion.

* * *

...

* * *

After returning to the Basilicom, Blanc immediately headed back to her room to cool down. That was perfectly fine, for C-sha was a woman on a mission. Something had upset Blanny, and she was determined to find out what. There was no point in asking Blanc about it, as she would likely deny it then threaten to bash her face in or something. And C-sha really did care about her partner as she knew Blanc had come to care about her, despite anything they said and did to the contrary. The biggest problem was she had no real clues to go by to start her search.

"Hurry, hurry! It's this way."

Enter Rom and Ram.

Aside from the older attendants that helped manage the Basilicom and Blanc herself, Rom and Ram had been around their home the longest, and would therefore know about any sort of secret activity going on considering their penchant for sticking their noses where they didn't belong. So she had asked them if Blanc had ever been 'super-secret' about something because she wanted to find something to cheer her up. And like good little sisters who also wanted to make Blanc happy, they lead her down the corridors towards the wing that held the guest rooms.

"Blanc says no one is ever, ever supposed to go in here," Ram continued, happily leading the way, with Rom and C-sha right behind. "I think only Mina ever went in, cause she had Blanc's permission." C-sha raised an eyebrow. Mina had been the Oracle for Lowee, who was apparently on indefinite hiatus, and apparently trustworthy enough to keep a secret. Which meant there was definitely something big behind whatever door Ram and Rom were leading her to. And even if whatever this was wasn't the cause behind Blanc's recent mood change, it was surely home to some quality teasing material.

"Here it is," Rom stated, as Ram presented the door. C-sha nodded, first testing the doorknob to see that it was indeed locked. Confirming that, she took a long and hard look at the obstruction in her path. Clearly, this was something that required a more delicate and subtle touch.

"Hyah!" C-sha kicked the door, breaking the lock and causing it to swing open.

Well, no one ever accused C-sha of being 'subtle'.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Rom said, suddenly having doubts.

"We can't back out now Rom," her twin said encouragingly. "Maybe something in here will make Blanc happy!" Renewed by her sister's words, Rom nodded and proceeded to follow C-sha into the room. Inside looked not much different than any other guest rooms. A giant television with several game consoles ready to be played sat in front of a large couch. A bed and nightstand, a dresser, a table and a few chairs left for a bit of minimal comforts. C-sha inspected the bed and nightstand, while Rom and Ram studied the consoles.

"These are really old," Rom noted, a fine layer of dust covering them up, though perhaps not as much as should have accumulated over the years.

"Hey yeah! None of our newest consoles are in here. Totally lame," Ram said, moving on to inspect under the couch. Rom took note of some old magazines, one which had a faded headline reading 'Dengekiko Scoop! Lowee motion controls are the future?'

Meanwhile, C-sha opened the nightstand drawer and grinned. "Well, what have we here," she said, reaching in and pulling out an old, leather bound book. There was no cover on the title, but she instantly would have pegged this as being one of Blanc's older works. While Blanc's writing ability was considered subpar, and that was a generous overstatement of such, most people never spoke of it directly to her face. Therefore, if this was something that even she could recognize as 'no good' the level of horrendous writing had to be off the charts. C-sha opened the book to a random page and started to read.

"Hey, hey C-sha! We can't find anything," Ram said, a bit miffed at finding nothing worthwhile.

"Search failure," Rom said slightly depressed.

"Hm? Well, I found this," C-sha said holding up the book in her hands. Its pages were starting to fade to yellow, but the writing was still legible. And from what she could read of it, it was certainly not written by the temperamental CPU. While it was no award-winning novel by a long shot, it was still leagues better than most anything Blanc had ever written. And it was handwritten as well, not typed. Flipping back to the first page, she noticed a note that was written in the corner. She read it aloud:

'Dear Blanc,

I hope you like this. I wrote this book just for you, to commemorate one year of service to you. I figured you might like something like this to read on your off time. Let's keep working hard together for Lowee's sake.

Best Wishes,

Zen.'

"Huh? Who's Zen?"

"You don't know," C-sha asked, to which the twins shook their heads. "Weird… Well, maybe Blanny would know."

"Oh!" Rom was inspecting the nightstand again and reached in to pull out an old photograph. "Ram, Ram! Look, its Mina!"

"Really? Let me see!" Rom held up a picture with three people in it. One was Blanc, looking away from the camera in what C-sha could tell was slight embarrassment. The other was a woman who was undoubtedly the Oracle of Lowee, Mina. She was smiling and facing the camera properly. The third person was someone none of them recognized, a young man who was also smiling at the camera and between the CPU and Oracle. "Huh? Who's this guy?"

"Maybe… he's Zen," Rom suggested. C-sha could see how the connection could be made. But that still left a lot of questions unanswered, such as where the man was now. Had he been fired? It didn't seem likely if the picture and the note in the book were anything to go by. From what she could piece together, he had gotten along well with Blanc. Had he taken leave like Mina? It was clear to C-sha now that this room must have belonged to him. But why seal it away was the question. Even Mina's old room was kept in presentable condition, and it didn't look like it was going to be used for a good long while.

Moreover, the more C-sha looked at the picture, the more she had this nagging feeling that she had seen that face somewhere before. But it seemed impossible to believe. The man in the picture was likely to be much older now, yet neither Rom nor Ram could recognize him. It was clear that both Mina and Blanc knew him, but with Mina gone she could only ask Blanc. And that was if she would even answer her at all.

"Well, guess it's a start for now. Thanks you two," C-sha said, patting them both on the head. "Come on, let's get out of here." C-sha took the photo from Rom and stashed it between her breasts. This would definitely come in handy later, she knew.

Though in a way she never really would have expected.

* * *

...

* * *

Raine groggily opened his eyes, blinking rapidly. His head was killing him something fierce, and he felt the need to bury his head in the snow and just ignore the rest of the world. "How are you feeling," a voice asked him from the side.

"Like I skipped the party and when straight to the hangover..." he said, sitting up and shaking his head. He found he was previously laying on a bench and looking around, noticed Mina sitting nearby, her staff nowhere to be seen. "I know we are friends, but warn a guy next time you do something like that."

"Apologies," Mina said, looking sheepish. "I wasn't too sure if the spell would work though. Still, I'm glad it did. It means I was right." Mina looked at him and smiled, with a few tears shining in her eyes. "It's good to see you again, Zen."

He chuckled a bit before responding, "Yeah. Same here, Mina. It's been a long time, huh? Though it only feels like a few days for me. Ever since I-." He stopped, remembering his last moments. His eyes became downcast, before he sighed. "I made her cry… I really am the worst, huh?"

"That is debatable."

"Damn it woman, you're not supposed to agree with me. But, please, from now on call me Raine. 'Zen' has already lived his life and is gone now. I can't live in the past like that."

"Fair enough," Mina said, reaching out and checking his forehead for a fever. "Are you sure you are okay? I'm not sure what kind of side effects the spell would have…"

"I'll be fine. It's a bit disjointing having to sort through my memories from my previous life and this one. But with enough time, I should be okay. Still, a lot has changed. Blanc has younger sisters now?"

"Yes, Rom and Ram," Mina said, smiling at the memories she had of the twins. "They were born a few days before your passing."

"I see," Raine said, looking over the memories of his current life to find what they looked like. "I would have liked to have met them before. They seem cute. I wonder what Blanc must have told them about me." At this, Mina turned her head away, looking downcast. "Mina?"

"I'm sorry, you must understand. I don't think Blanc ever expected your death to affect her so much. She… never really talked about you much. It never came up unless it was with me, and even then…"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "Perhaps I should have expected as much. I didn't trust her when I should have. Perhaps if I hadn't been selfish, thinking to shoulder all my problems alone, there could have been a… well, perhaps not a happy ending, but a more tolerable one." He stood up, brushing some collected snow off his pants. "In any case, you are finally back. So, does that mean what I think it means?"

"Yes," Mina said, standing proudly. "I think it's high time I got back my position as Lowee's Oracle."

"Good for you. Then, we better get going." Mina looked to him in slight confusion. "Like you, there is something there waiting for me at the Basilicom. A bit of… unfinished business." Mina nodded, and together they made their way to Lowee's Basilicom.

Within said building, Blanc was relaxing at her desk, going over some paperwork that needed signing. Her reading hobby allowed her to speed read most documents and get them signed away, which allowed her more free time than most of the other Goddesses to indulge in her writing. She took a sip of some tea that was prepared for her, as she went through paper after paper. "Lady Blanc?"

Blanc looked up to see her head maid, Financier, entering the room. "Yes?"

"Apologies, but you have some visitors in the lobby. It seemed quite urgent."

"Alright, alright." She stood up from her desk and headed out, Financier already heading in the opposite direction. Walking through the hallways, she reached the door to the lobby before hearing her named called out.

"Blanny! Just who I was looking for," C-sha said, being accompanied by Rom and Ram. "You got a minute?"

"No," Blanc said, turning away.

"Aw, don't be like that," she said, reaching out to pat her head. Blanc let out an angry growl and swiped her hand away, to which the Gold Third laughed it off. "Seriously though, we do have some questions for you."

"It will have to wait. We have guests here, so watch yourself. That means, all of you," she reinforced, staring at the twins while she did so.

"But it's important! Like super, duper important," Ram said.

"Blanc, who's Zen?"

Rom's innocent question caused Blanc to freeze up. She kept her face carefully blank and spoke in as neutral a tone as possible, "Where did you hear that name?"

"Um… in a book." Blanc could only think of one book that would have that particular name in it. And her temper was starting to rise as she realized just how they could have accessed it, as she glared at C-sha. The Gold Third didn't look scared; in fact she seemed pretty confident about herself. Blanc let her anger simmer. She had guests waiting, and it would be rude to keep them waiting any longer. Besides, this would give her plenty of time to think up a suitable punishment for later.

"We will talk about this later," Blanc said, turning and opening the doors before her. Her anger at the situation was dissipated immediately after seeing who was behind the doors though. "Mina?"

"Huh?" Rom and Ram looked around Blanc to see indeed that Mina had returned, standing next to another man who was busy looking at the architecture around him. "Yay! Mina's back!" The twins instantly rushed to her, jumping onto her with hugs that nearly knocked her down had the man not steadied her footing. Both twins kept shouting 'Mina's back! Mina's back!' as they continued to attempt to hug the life out of her.

Mina responded in kind, giving them warm hugs back. "Yes, yes, I missed you both so much as well. And my, look how much you two have grown up!" Her gaze turned to Blanc and C-sha. "Blanc, it's good to see you again."

"Yeah," Blanc said giving a soft smile.

"And you must be Lady C-sha of the Gold Third. I've heard quite a lot about you. On behalf of my status as the Oracle of Lowee, I thank you for watching out for Blanc in my stead," she said, giving a somewhat awkward bow as the twins had yet to let up on their hug.

"Ah, it's no problem. I really couldn't ask for a better partner than Blanny here anyway," she said, patting Blanc on the back. Blanc looked annoyed, but recovered easily seeing the man now looking at her with a look of wistfulness.

"So, who are you supposed to be?"

"How cruel, Blanc. And here I thought we were friends," Raine said with a shake of his head.

"We met one time. I hardly think that even qualifies as being friends," Blanc deadpanned. Raine only laughed.

"I suppose so. But, this wasn't the first time we have met. Although it is horribly similar to that time. You really have worked hard in my absence. I would say you have more than surpassed your predecessor." Blanc looked to him confused. "I remember that day well… To think, that despite being a new CPU, you had the courage to take on those Fenrirs! Or perhaps it was recklessness? Had I not intervened, the story would have taken quite the unfortunate turn, no?"

Blanc's eyes widened. She remembered that mission as well, as though it were only yesterday. And of that mission, only two people had ever known the truth as to what had happened on that day, and one of them was now dead. "How do you…?"

"Of course, it was a shame that our story had to end on such a tragic note. If I could, I would have confided in you sooner, if only to help soften the blow when the time came." Blanc could see tears in his eyes as he started to speak. "Perhaps this is some sort of fate paying me back? Who knows? But Blanc… even in those final moments, I was so happy. I wanted so badly to stay longer, even just a little bit, but I still would not have traded away any of what happened."

"Blanc…" Rom questioned, wondering what was happening. Ram looked about to intervene as well, but a hand on both of their shoulders from Mina stopped them. "Mina?" The Oracle merely shook her head.

"Blanny," C-sha said concerned watching as Raine walked up to Blanc, with the CPU simply standing there a bit wide-eyed. _To make Blanc like this, who is this guy?_

Everyone looked surprised, and a bit fearful, when he suddenly hugged Blanc bringing her close. The CPU stiffened and she seemed ready to start swinging and yelling about personal space, when his next words froze her completely. "I'm so happy… that you stayed to the very end. I couldn't begin to fathom or explain it to you."

' _Will you stay? Until the end?'_

Blanc's mind shut down. Everything about this situation was impossible. There was simply no way this person who she had never before met could know all these things. No way, unless… the idea was so impossible to believe. Then again, was it really? Hadn't she seen so many things that others would have called impossible? Could she really believe in this?

"…Zen?"

"Yeah. I'm back. Sorry for everything."

For a moment, no one said anything. Then shock overcame just about everyone when Blanc started to shake, as she unsteadily wrapped her arms around him in return. "It's… is it… really you? Are you real? You… I…"

"It'll be okay, Blanc. I'm not going anywhere, this time," he said rubbing her back.

* * *

...

* * *

"In another life… I was born here in Lowee, under the name Zen."

Everyone had relocated to another room where everyone could sit down, after Blanc quickly threatened everyone in the room that what happened in the lobby was never to be spoken of again. The twins were cuddling with Banc, who was looking at Raine with a bewildered expression. Rom and Ram looked worriedly between her and Raine. Mina was sitting on her own, as was C-sha. Financier was pouring everyone tea and serving small cakes.

"At the time when I was born, Blanc was not yet the CPU of Lowee. We were at… something of a cold war with Planeptune at the time. I lived a somewhat ordinary life growing up. That changed sometime a little after I turned fifteen. I suddenly got sick, with no warning. My parents were unsure what happened and took me to some doctors. After a few tests, they determined I had contracted F.E.E. syndrome."

"'Fatal Error End'," Financier said. "I've heard of it… They say less than one-tenth of one percent even get the disease. No one knows how it happens though. And despite the recent medical breakthroughs in the last few years, most treatments only put the disease into temporary remission. There isn't a cure to be found, in all this time." Blanc stared at Financier. Was there anything she didn't seem to know about? And why the hell did she even know this to begin with?

"Right. So you can imagine that at the time, it was literally a death sentence for me. The most they could do was give me medication for pain and waiver my medical fees, in exchange for testing experimental drugs they had at the time to try and combat the disease. They said at best, I had two years to live. At worse, weeks, or even less.

"So with nothing to lose, I decided I would do what I wanted before I died. And so I did. I took up working at the Guild full time, since it didn't seem like I had anything left to lose. And during my time there was when the CPU of that time went to fight the threat known as the Deity of Sin and lost her life because of it. Still, the beast was sealed up, and as a result, Blanc was born.

"I met her when I was coming back from doing a Quest. She was fighting Fenrirs and I helped her out a bit. After which, every time she had time to do a quest or two, I convinced her to let me tag along. It seemed like an opportunity to really interact with the new CPU. After all, I was already living longer than what the doctors believed I would, so I assumed that perhaps one or more of their treatments was working.

"After about five months of this, I was invited to work at the Basilicom, as Blanc's personal assistant. It was good work… I did the best I could, and even managed to appoint Mina as our new Oracle. But over time, I noticed that my health was starting to fail me again. I tried to hide it, but somehow Mina was able to find out about what happened. I asked her not to tell Blanc. I didn't want her to needlessly worry about it. It wasn't like there was anything anyone could do for me at that point.

"I held out for as long as I could. Around the time that Lowee's revolutionary motion control console came out though, I had reached the end of my life." Raine thought back to those last few moments. The details around his former life's death were murky at best. But he remembered being content, with Blanc by his side.

"T-that's… that's," Rom managed to get out, amidst her tears over hearing what had happened between him and Blanc. "That's so sad…."

"Y-you jerk," Ram protested, though it was clear she also was struggling not to cry. "D-don't make Rom cry like that!"

"I see… that explains this then," C-sha said, reaching into her cleavage and pulling out the photograph from before, holding it up. "I always knew Blanny had a big heart for her friends."

"Damnit, where did you even get that!? Give that back," Blanc said, charging at C-sha and reaching for the picture, only for the Gold Third member to hold it away from her.

"Yes. Blanc has always held a soft spot for her people," Mina said, looking a bit downcast. "Though she tried to hide it… it was the first time that the scope of just who and what she was, as our CPU, was made painfully clear to her." The implications of that statement were felt throughout the room, distracting C-sha enough to let Blanc snatch the photo and make her way back to the twins, who proceeded to hug her really tightly. "It didn't help that they were good friends. I think that only made it worse for her. Because of it, the subject of Zen was always considered a sensitive topic and Blanc forbid anyone from talking about it. I think because Rom and Ram were born at around the same time was also a big reason why." Blanc turned her head away from Raine. It was true that before all these revelations, Blanc was essentially the only person at the Basilicom to even remember he was once a member of the staff.

"Well, in any case, I didn't even remember any of this in this life until a few hours ago," he said, shrugging. "I grew up in Lastation, and only recently moved here. Mina was the one who helped with that."

"Is that true," Blanc asked, looking at her Oracle.

"Yes. We met a few years ago in Lastation, and something about him felt nostalgic in a way. Like I was supposed to know him for some reason. That's when I received word about your adventure with the CPU, Lady Uzume, and her partner Umio." Blanc thought about it. True, if what she and the others suspected about him was true, the fish that Uzume called her best friend named Umio had once been a human who lived during the time of Uzume's rule in Planeptune and was an attendant of hers, before she had sealed herself away. Of course, Umio himself had no recollection of this, but perhaps… "In any case, I decided to take a chance and took some time researching spells involving memories. My work bore fruit as you can see."

"Well, seems like a happy ending after all," C-sha said with a smile. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"Well… I suppose it wouldn't be too much to ask for our old jobs back?" Raine looked hopefully at Blanc, who was thinking.

"Hey, that's a great idea," Ram said having cheered up again. "We can get someone new to play with us Rom!"

Blanc stared at Raine, her mind thinking over everything she had heard and seen. This person, Raine, really did seem to be the reincarnation of Zen. She honestly wondered what she had done to deserve this sort of miracle. There was no question that she wanted him by her side once more. They had grown so much on each other, after all. "Well, as you know Mina, the position of Oracle was always yours. There's nothing to worry about that. As for you, Zen-."

"Raine," he said surprising Blanc. "Zen… has already lived and died once. And as much as he is me, I also want to be my own person. Besides, it's just easier this way."

Blanc nodded. "Very well… I don't really think I could give you back your old position anyway. But, I'm sure Mina wouldn't mind having an assistant to help her duties. She does have a lot of catching up to do."

"Aw, group hug!" C-sha's announcement was accompanied by grabbing Blanc, Raine and Mina and crushing them together in an embrace. Rom and Ram instantly joined in, hugging around the outside of the group. Financier merely chuckled quietly behind her hand. "One big happy family now!"

"Gck!" Raine struggled to get loose from the Gold Third's rather powerful grip, as his face was pressed into her chest. "C-sha!?"

"Damnit C-sha! Let go of me! Stop it! Financier, do something!"

"Now, now Lady Blanc, such wonderful feelings of friendship should be shared, don't you think?"

"The hell it should be!"

"Blanc, please, calm down," Mina said weakly. Eventually, the hug ended, with C-sha beaming, despite Blanc's threatening gaze on her. "W-what frightening strength…"

"Hey, Mina! Can you make us some hot chocolate like you used to? Please?"

"Pretty please?"

"Of course you two. Besides, I also want to see how far you've advanced in your magic lessons without me," the Oracle said, leading the twins away.

"I should get back to my duties. A maid's work is never done." With a bow, Financier left. Taking the cue, C-sha also turned to go.

"I guess I'll head out too. We should spar later, new guy!"

Finally that left Blanc and Raine alone. Blanc looked to the side, unsure of what to say. "…So, Blanny huh?"

"Damn it, not you too," she said, blushing a bit. "Seriously, why does everyone keep calling me that?"

"Because it suits you," Raine said shrugging. "But, I suppose I'll keep such things private. C-sha seems to be the one who teases you in public these days." Blanc grumbled to herself a bit. "Blanc, thank you. Really, I sincerely thank you for everything."

"If you really want to thank me, then this time, could you promise me something?" Raine nodded. "Promise me… no matter what happens, that you will come back to me. Losing you like that the first time…"

Raine nodded, enveloping her in a hug once more. This time, she didn't protest it. "Of course. No matter what, I'll always come back. I promise."

* * *

...

* * *

Blanc took a sip of her tea, before setting it down on the table before her. The room was silent, despite its many occupants. "Well?"

"I must say, Blanc, that would probably be the most elaborate story I have ever heard you come up with, if I wasn't seeing this right now," Vert said, the CPU of Leanbox looking surprised.

Within a meeting room, the four CPUs had gathered once more for their monthly meetings this time being guests within Blanc's Basilicom. Usually, these meetings were just excuses for the CPUs to take time off work to hang out with each other, but occasionally some serious issues were discussed and resolved. At this moment, Blanc had just finished retelling her story involving why their meeting was met with an unfamiliar face, as Raine was currently keeping the twins occupied by helping them build a scale model of Lowee's Basilicom from toy blocks.

Currently, the four CPUs were joined by their younger sisters as well as the four Gold Third members, who were using this opportunity to catch up with one another. All of them were rather absorbed by the story, save for the Lowee residents and the Gold Third of Leanbox, S-sha. Although, considering her state of being always seemed to be in a 'disinterested' mode, it was impossible to tell what she thought of the story, or even if she was listening to it properly.

"So… you basically got your very own Umio," Neptune said with a smile.

"I'm not sure how to feel about that."

"Please, be serious for once Neptune," Noire said with a sigh. "Still… reincarnation huh? I suppose anything really is possible."

"I think it's wonderful," K-sha said. "It sounds almost romantic." Already she was envisioning herself being reborn anew again and again to stay with Noire until time's end, a dreamy smile on her face. Of course, this sort of thing was plain as day to see for Noire and Uni, who knew K-sha well enough to know how she would think about such a concept.

"Goodness, though. I really wonder what the odds are for that to happen," Nepgear wondered aloud.

"Apparently, on the same level of Blanc suddenly getting a love interest," Vert quipped, giving her a small smile.

"L-love interest!? The hell does that mean?"

"No need to be shy Blanc. In fact, you should be proud despite having so little to offer that you could find someone so devoted to you."

"What did you say!?" Blanc glowered at Vert, adopting, as what the people of Lowee called, her 'rawr' face, one eye glowing a dangerous red. "How about I-!"

"Blanc, please calm down," Raine said, as he worked with Ram in making one of the towers, Rom currently working on the outer walls of their project. Having a new person around to help play with the twins really was a godsend. "You shouldn't take it so seriously. After all, it's common for women to exhibit jealousy of others, especially once they are past their prime."

The room went deathly silent at that. Apparently for Raine, something that had carried over with this new life was a very loose stance on 'self-preservation', especially when it came to dealing with CPUs. Then again, Blanc knew, when faced with certain death there probably wasn't a lot left to fear. Still, the silence reigned on…

"Bwahahaha!" Until Neptune broke it with her hysterical laugher. "Oh man, Vert just got burned good! A Nep out of ten!"

"H-how dare you," Vert shouted, looking flustered. "I'll have you know I am still well at the peak of my youth and my popularity in Leanbox is on top!"

"Well, you know what they say, denial is the first stage…"

Neptune's laughter reached new heights at that, while Blanc was trying and failing to hide her own rather sinister sounding chuckles. Vert, looking thoroughly embarrassed, stood up and pointed dramatically at Raine. "I will not stand for this! S-sha, attack!"

"Not Interested."

Vert hung her head down in defeat. Noire could only give a deep sigh at how quickly things were thrown off track. "Aw, don't worry Verty," Neptune said, "Nowa knows how you feel."

"Excuse me!? Where do I fit into all this?"

"There's no need to be shy, Lonely Heart," Neptune said. "I'm sure you have all sorts of tips to deal with that sort of thing."

"I do not! And stop calling me that! I'm not lonely!"

"If the processor fits- Nepu!?" Neptune's rant was stopped by K-sha giving her a swift karate chop to the back of her head.

"Thank you, K-sha."

"Anytime, Noire," she said.

"Nepu!? That's unfair, getting others to fight your battles like that! This is the wrong game for such things!" Noire only gave her a victorious smirk. "So that's how it's gonna be, huh? Well, two can play this multiplayer! Behold the power of my Lily Ranks! B-sha, counterstrike!"

"Sure thing, Nep-Nep. That'll be five hundred thousand Credits please."

"NEPU!? Why so much?"

"Well, I am going to go up against a CPU after all," B-sha said wisely.

"Come on, can't I get a friend discount or something?"

"I suppose so," B-sha said, putting down the juice she was drinking to think for a bit. "Okay, just for you Nep-Nep it will only be four hundred thousand Credits." She gave her a smile and thumbs up.

"Uh… maybe I can get an I.O.U…"

"Alright, alright," Blanc said catching their attention. "If everyone is quite done here, then that means you can all go home. I think we've discussed everything we needed to."

"Bzzt! Wrong answer Blanny," Neptune said, earning her a glare from the white CPU. "I just happened to notice a big ol' festival being set up when me and Nep Jr. were coming here. You wouldn't think of not inviting your old pals to have some fun, right?"

"Yes."

"Not at all," C-sha said immediately after, prompting Blanc's ire back to her direction. "The more the merrier, right Blanny?"

"Don't call me that. And that-."

"Sounds like fun," Raine said, to which Blanc shot him a look that screamed 'Traitor!' as he smiled innocently. "Come on Blanc, let's enjoy ourselves."

"A festival sounds wonderful," Nepgear said before turning to Uni. "Uni, let's go play some games there!"

"Uh, sure, no problem Nepgear," the young CPU Candidate said calmly, before she quickly backpedaled and stammered, "B-but only because you asked me! It's not like I was planning to go with you or anything, ok?"

"Well, we can't let the kiddos outshine us, eh Noire," Neptune commented moving to the black-haired Goddess's right side.

"Don't give me that! I have a lot of work to do back in Lastation. Uni can stay if she wants, but-."

"That's no good Noire," K-sha said, moving to her other side and giving her a look of concern. "You work hard enough, it's important to take a break for your health, you know?" Though she spoke concerning the CPU's health, it was clear by the look in her eyes that K-sha really wanted to spend time with Noire at the festival. Stuck between her rival and friend, Noire was trapped.

"F-fine! But only because someone needs to keep an eye on you," she said turning to Neptune. "Celesta knows you might trigger some event that would ruin everything."

"Oh please, when have I ever-." Neptune stopped, freezing in place for a moment before shaking her hands. "You know, forget I said that…"

"I'm guessing you won't be joining us then," B-sha said to S-sha.

"I'll be there," she said, surprising her fellow Gold Third members. "E-sha wants to try shaved ice," she clarified, to which the others understood. E-sha was a separate soul that inhabited the same body as S-sha, and was quite shy and unassertive, letting S-sha take the dominant role. Of course, S-sha was determined to always keep E-sha happy, so if she wanted to go to the festival, then S-sha would comply without question or hesitation.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask this, but what in the world are you drinking S-sha," Raine asked, pointing to her half-filled wine glass of mysterious blue liquid.

"Essence of Dogoo."

All chatter stopped, as twelve pairs of eyes suddenly turned to the Leanbox Gold Third.

S-sha calmly took another disinterested sip.

"Right… forget I ever asked…"

* * *

...

* * *

The Winter Starlight Festival was in full swing in Lowee, with several stalls opened for business that were selling and advertising all manner of food and games to play. Most of the CPUs and Gold Third had gone their separate ways, though Raine, Blanc, Rom and Ram stuck together. Currently, Rom and Ram were running ahead and pointing to various stands while holding candy apples, expressing their excitement. The two had been given just a thousand Credits to spend, which would have limited their fun had not Raine been 'generous' enough to treat them with money from his own pocket.

"You really shouldn't spoil them so much," Blanc said, who was snacking on a meat bun.

"Well, I never got to meet them in my past life, so I figure this is just making up for lost time," Raine said, taking a big bite of his Blanc Manju. "Besides, it won't hurt them. At least, I don't think it will anyway."

"Blanc! Raine! Over here," Ram called from a stand, leading the two to the game. It looked simple enough, simply tossing a ball to land in a jar. Raine could easily see the trick though, the tops of jars were only just big enough to hold the balls, meaning they would be extremely likely to simply bounce off the edges without perfect tossing. "Watch, I'm gonna win that one," she said, pointing to the large plush doll that resembled a Baby Bug.

"Then you'll want to aim for the ones in the back," the stall owner said. "A hundred Credits for three tries." Ram eagerly paid for herself, with Rom following, her own eyes looking to what appeared to be a replica of Blanc's hat. Ram immediately went into an overhead toss, which caused her ball to sail over the jars and onto the back of the stall. Rom threw hers underhanded, which came up too short.

"Focus you two," Blanc said, as the twins geared up for their second toss. Ram's overshot it once more, but Rom's had hit the edge of the jar she was aiming for. Frustrated, but not ready to give up, both twins sharpened their focus once more for a grand toss. It looked like a perfect throw, but the trajectory had the two balls aiming for the same jar and collide with each other midair, causing them to miss completely.

"Aw…" Rom sighed dejectedly.

"No! That was so perfect too," Ram said pouting.

"Sorry little ladies. You can try again if you want."

"Yeah, I'll go." Raine finished the last of his Manju before stepping up and placing his Credits on the counter. The owner placed three balls down and Raine picked up the first. He muttered something under his breath before tossing the ball in a perfect arc, having it land squarely in the jar. Everyone but Blanc looked amazed as he repeated it with the second and third ball, winning him three prizes at once. Choosing the prizes that the twins wanted, he was met by fierce hugs.

"Yay! Raine, you're the best!"

"Thank you so much."

"Of course you two," he said, patting them on the head. Rom took off her own hat to place the prize Blanc hat on her head, before pretending to be scolding Ram, who was laughing at the scene. Raine walked back to Blanc with a look that said 'Praise me!' before saying "So, how'd I do?"

"You cheated," Blanc said with a sly smile on her face.

Raine gave a look of mock outrage. "You accuse me of cheating to win a clearly rigged carnival game? Perish the thought!"

"So what did you get?" Raine showed off his own prize, a plush replica of Blanc's signature hammer, which he harmlessly bopped on her head. She brushed it off, giving a playful glare. "Smartass."

"So you keep telling me," he said, as they headed out once more. Their walk was interrupted by a whistling sound, before bright explosions of color filled the night sky.

"Oh cool, fireworks," Ram said excited

"So pretty," Rom added, mesmerized.

The four stopped for the moment, gazing up at the bright display of color and sound. And in that moment, there was peace.

* * *

...

* * *

Love, they said, was a difficult and often times painful ordeal to go through if one wasn't careful. More so for the CPUs, who were almost considered separate entities from the rest of the world, standing alone at the pinnacle of Gamindustri. Their hearts were trained to withstand such feelings though. Since the CPUs had first appeared in the world, it was almost considered an unwritten rule: a CPU shall not fall in love.

Humans couldn't hope to live along the Goddesses forever. Only another Goddess could potentially hope to love and stand with one another for all time, if only to stave off the feeling of isolation, but the war for Shares had always prevented such things from happening. Moreover, especially for the Goddess in power, love could create risks and liabilities. Love could forge jealousy and heartache. Love could divide a nation and herald its collapse.

But one CPU had decided to forgo that notion, that a Goddess couldn't love a mortal. The first step to breaking the chain that bound their hearts. Certainly, it was not a love that could be expressed in all the ways they wanted it to be. It was not a love that could be announced to the world over. It could only be a secret, quiet love that only the most trustworthy could ever know of. But it was still their love, bound for eternity; a forbidden kind of love that could only be found in fairy tales and fiction, yet still spoke of such a deep understanding of one another.

The CPU and the Human. Chained together through the words carved into their very beings.

 _I will stay with you, until the end._

 _I will come back to you, always._

Under the silent starlight and gentle snow, a pair of hands met quietly. A pair of eyes met briefly.

"You know… I really should get to finishing that book."

"Yeah. I've read it a lot of times, but… it really needs an ending. Did you have one in mind?"

"Of course. I still remember how I wanted to end it. It might be a bit cliché, but it's always one of my favorite ways to see the end of a story."

…

…

…

 _I love you._

…

…

…

 _I love you, too._

…

…

…

"…And they all lived happily ever after. The End."


End file.
